Bark City Doggy Daycare

Giant dog breeds are any dog that will eventually weigh 100 + pounds. Though giant dogs are majestic to look at, they do require special care in order to ensure they live a relatively long, healthy life. If you noticed I used the word "relatively" in the last sentence, it's because in comparison to a regular sized dog, giant dogs have a shorter life span-- 6 to 10 years in comparison to the average 12 to 15 years of a "regular" dog. If you are considering adopting a giant dog, here are the "ins and outs" of care: Typically, giant dogs are very gentle, affectionate and loyal. They make great family pets. BUT, they must, must, must be trained and socialized starting at puppyhood. Otherwise, your gentle giant could end up a bulldozer which equals injuries for all living creatures in the vicinity. The good thing is that gentle giants are generally very trainable. Once they get older, their energy level decreases and they don't require as much exe...

Ear problems are probably one of the top reasons dog owners visit the vet. A dog's ears should be regularly monitored in order to keep them healthy and infections at bay. Once an infection starts, it can become time-consuming for the owner and agony for the dog. Often, a two-prong attack is what is needed to find out what is causing a dog's ears to become infected and to provide relief. The owner needs to 1. consult a veterinarian for medication that will provide immediate relief and 2. Examine what environmental factors are causing the dog's ears to become irritated. It is important to stay on top of your dog's ear health. Prolonged ear infection can cause permanent damage to you furry family member's hearing. A veterinarian's medication will provide immediate relief for your dog's ears, but if the environmental factors that are causing the problem are not fixed, ear infections will become chronic. Often, an ear infection is caused by a dietary alle...

Hip Dysplasia is an inherited condition resulting from an improperly formed hip joint. In normal growth, the "ball and socket" portion of a hip would grow at an equal rate. In hip dysplasia, the ball and socket do not grow together at the equal rate. This causes the hip joint to eventually develop degenerative bone disease and/ or osteoarthritis. It should be noted, that the gene that causes hip dysplasia has not been conclusively identified. BUT, it is believed to be more than one gene. Diet also plays a crucial role in the development of hip dysplasia. Dogs that are genetically more prone to this condition are large breed dogs and purebred (though, all breeds large and small, can develop it). Hip Dysplasia generally starts to show up around mid- late age for dogs. But in severe cases, puppies may show signs as early as 5-10 months of age. It is important that at-risk large breed puppies are given controlled exercise . This means you need to limit high-impact games ...

Most dogs shed, though there are some dogs that don't ( Click here for a list of dogs that don't shed). Some dogs shed more than others. Some shed on a daily basis all year long, and some shed seasonally in the spring and fall. If you have a dog that sheds all year long, I feel for you, I really do. But, when should you start worrying that your dog's shedding problem is beyond the normal scope and is an actual health problem? When you start to notice this: Any of the above problems could be linked to an underlying health problem that will need to be addressed by a veterinarian. It could be anything: allergies, hormones, a dietary deficiency (or over abundance), stress or a skin condition like mites and ringworm. It's important for your veterinarian to properly diagnose what is causing your dog to abnormally shed in order for the right treatment to be administered. If you dog has normal shedding that is driving you absolutely nuts-o, here is one thing you ...

Dogs can suffer from depression, just like humans. But, dogs do not speak human. They speak dog and sometimes it's hard for us humans to figure out what they are saying. Here are 10 signs that your dog might be depressed. Please keep in mind that just because your dog may be exhibiting one of these signs, it does not necessarily mean they are depressed. A lot of these signs could also mean they are injured or sick. Bottom line, it's best to know your dog's personal language. Pay attention to how they communicate on a day to day basis in order to understand when your dog is acting out of the ordinary. Change in Behavior : This is the most basic sign. Is your dog acting out of the ordinary? Have they lost interest in things that used to excite them? Example: Walks, favorite food, no longer greeting you at the door. The first thing to do is check out the environment. Have you had a new life change (new baby, a big move, ect..)? Sometimes, a dog will sense your own mood an...

One thing you can always assume about a dog is that there is a 99.99999% chance they will never turn down food. True, there are some dogs that are a little more mature about mealtime than your average gobbler. And, some will walk away from a bowl when they are genuinely full. But, there are some dogs that are completely obsessed with food and act like they are starving to death all the time. If you have a food obsessed dog, the first thing you must do is take them to the vet to rule out a serious medical condition. Here are some of the physical reasons your dog may seem obsessed with food: Aging Bacterial overgrowth in the intestines Cushing's disease Diabetes Exocrine pancreatic insufficency Hyperthyroidism Reaction to medication Inappropriate diet Once you have ruled out a medical condition, you may start to deduce that your dog's food obsession is psychologically based. There is a theory that dog's are opportunistic eaters with a hereditary trait from thei...

"Leave it" is a training skill that could potentially save your dog's life. Before you start to train your dog on how to leave something on the ground, it's best that they have already mastered "sit" and leash walking . Below, I have outlined how to teach your dog how to "Leave It", but first I would like to explain how to go about teaching your dog this skill: 1. Only teach your dog a new skill for about 15 minutes a day in 5 minute sessions. "Leave it" is a good skill to practice during commercial breaks. 😏 If you go all hard core on the training and do more than 15 minutes a day in 5 minutes sessions, you risk over saturating your dog and stressing them out.... or they will just become plain ol' bored with the task and not listen to you. 2. In my steps, you will see "P/R". This means "Praise and Reward". Praise= a "good job" or "good boy/girl!" with lots of happy enthusiasm. Reward= a tr...